This invention relates to an automatic engine stop-restart system, and more particularly to an automatic engine stop-restart system wherein a primary check indication is not made when an engine is automatically stopped.
In general, there are many cases where, during driving of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is required to be temporarily stopped due to various causes including a traffic jam and a red traffic light. In the case of temporary stop as described above, it is the common practice that, until the motor vehicle can move again, the motor vehicle is in the waiting state, idling the engine. When the temporary stops as described above are frequent, the fuel consumption rate is deteriorated and it is unfavorable from the viewpoint of the emission control. Then, each time of the temporary stop, the engine is manually stopped by means of a key switch, and, in moving the vehicle, the engine is manually started, thus enabling to solve the above-described problem. However, these manual operations suffer from low controllability and it is not favorable from the viewpoint of the safety control.
In view of the above-described facts, there has been proposed an automatic engine stop-restart system (hereinafter referred to as "EASS") wherein, in temporarily stopping the motor vehicle, the engine is automatically stopped, and thereafter, the engine is automatically restarted. In this EASS, for example, a status signal of a clutch pedal, an engine rotational speed signal, a vehicle speed signal, a water temperature signal, an oil pressure signal and other signals are taken in an electronic control circuit mainly consisting of a microcomputer. When conditions of stopping the engine are fulfilled, the functions of ignition means and a fuel system are stopped to thereby stop the engine, and when conditions of rotatably starting the engine are fulfilled, a starter is rotated to start the engine, so that the rotation of the engine can be maintained.
For example, primay check indicating lamps including a charge warning lamp, an oil pressure lamp, an exhaust gas temperature lamp and the like is turned "ON", when an ignition key switch is turned "ON", turned "OFF" when the engine is cranked and enters into full rotation, and turned "ON" when the engine is in an engine failure. When the primary check indicating lamps operable as described above are applied to EASS, the primary check indicating lamp are turned "ON", if the engine is automatically stopped at the time of EASS being set. When the engine is automatically stopped at the time of EASS being set, a lamp indicating an automatic stop is turned "ON". Nevertheless, when the engine is automatically stopped, all the primary check lamps are turned "ON" at once, so that a driver may feel uneasy.